John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the situation regarding the provision of BreastCheck; the areas of the country covered; the age groups who can avail of the scheme; and if it will be extended to women over 66 years as soon as it has full geographical spread. [19528/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I am committed to ensuring that the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. I have allocated additional revenue funding of €8 million for this year to meet the additional costs involved. The full complement of 111 staff for roll-out has been approved. BreastCheck appointed the Clinical Directors for the South and West last November and has recently appointed three Consultant Radiologists, two Consultant Surgeons and two Consultant Histopathologists, all with a special interest in breast disease. The recruitment of Radiographers and other staff is underway.

I have also made available an additional €26.7 million capital funding for the construction of two new clinical units and the provision of five additional mobile units and state of the art digital equipment. The static units at the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital in Cork and University College Hospital Galway will be handed over later this year.

BreastCheck is currently available in fifteen counties in the Eastern, North Eastern, Midland and parts of the South Eastern regions and Western regions. The counties covered are Cavan, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Longford, Laois, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon,Wicklow, Westmeath and Wexford. BreastCheck provides free screening to all women in the 50-64 age group in these counties. The expert advice from BreastCheck and from the National Cancer Forum, as contained in its National Strategy for Cancer Control, is that following the national extension of the current programme, the upper age limit should be extended to women aged 69 years.

The priority of BreastCheck is to screen women who have not yet been screened and accordingly it is fully focussed at present on the commencement of the first round of screening in the West and South. I will consider extending the age limit as recommended when the national roll-out of the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service is being delivered. Any woman irrespective of her age who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.